Fat Tailed Gecko is a kind of mid-sized, nocturnal and terrestrial gecko that comes from western Africa. The habitat is arid savannah but they also love to live in humid microclimates.
Wild type of this leopard gecko usually has brown shade band. Some of them have white stripe from nose to the tail. This gecko has different colors and patterns. They are also called as Eublepharid because they can close eyes and have eyelid. For those who love leopard gecko, they usually start petting this one.
Housing for Fat Tailed Gecko
If you want to pet this lizard, the first thing to plan is fat-tailed gecko housing. It must be a 10 gallon of tank where it measures 20 inches x 10 inches x 12 inches. Bigger tank will be better because they will love it more.
This lizard with fat tail usually does not climb. However, they should be kept away from children and other animals. They also love plants so that you can add plants to the tank they live.
Besides that, you have to make sure that the Fat Tail Gecko you pet gets adequate humidity. So, you may need to set up a water bowl in the tank. You also must know items that belong to non-particulate substrate such as ceramic tile, repti-carpet, newspaper, and paper towel.
Heating & Lighting
You also have to pay attention to the heating & lighting. Since they are nocturnal, African Fat Tailed Gecko (Hemitheconyx Caudicinctus) does not require overhead light so that they can differentiate between night and day.
However, they need lighting if they live in a planted habitat because lighting is needed to get the benefits of plant. But you have to make sure that you provide the adequate lighting. Overheat is not good for them. On the other hand, too cold habitat will also be bad for this gecko.
Food & Supplement
Primarily, African fat tail leopard gecko is insectivorous. It means they eat insects. You can find that they love eating worms. Most of them prefer bugs such as Dubia Roaches, crickets, and locutus. In relation to the supplement, this gecko needs calcium. Calcium functions to build stronger bones.
Besides that, vitamin D3 is also needed to metabolize calcium. Then, some other vitamins & also minerals are also required. Today, you can find so many commercial products designed for feeding gecko that contain those needed nutrients.
How to Handle Fat-Tailed Gecko
If you want to pet this gecko, you have to be able to handle this pet. Since they are calm, you can handle them easily. However, if you do not have any experience in handling it, you need the following important tips:
- Since they don’t love being restrained, you have to scoop them up.
- This gecko will also eject the tail if you handle it too rough. So, you should not grab it if not urgent.
- Since young gecko is usually a bit skittish, you should use palms & lap to handle it.